Feeding mechanism.



G. L. HOYT.

FEEDING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APRA. 1911.

998,999, l Patented July 25, 1911.

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G. L. HOYT.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APRA. 1911.

Patented July 25, 1911.

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'UUTEB STATES PATE il# FFQE.

GUY L. HOYT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT GAIR COMPANY, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY L. Hor'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Feeding Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to mechanism for feeding loose solid materialincluding seeds, powders, etc., in detached charges of measured volume,and it relates more particularly to those feeders having ameasuring-chamber of variable capacity.

My obj ects are to simplify the constructive principle of such machines,to improve the means provided therein for regulating the quant-ity ofmaterial in each charge, and to render the separate instrumentalitiesmore effective as hereinafter pointed out.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of afeeding mechanism constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2represents a vert-ical section i of the feeding chamber with its bottomflap opened. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section taken on a planeabove the slide or admission valve.

n the drawings, 10 is a hopper for holding the material in bulk, 11 isthe outlet therefrom forming an entrance to the measuring-chamber, 12 isa casing removably attached to the lower end of the hopper and formedwith the segmental measuring-chamber 13, and 14 is an outlet from saidchamber through which the material is discharged into the pockets,receptacles, chute, or other locality adapted to receive it,

rThe admission of the material from the hopper to the measuring-chamberis controlled by a horizontally-reciprocating slide 15 containing anaperture 16 which is movable into and out of line with the hopper outlet11, and as a means for operating this slide I have shown a cam 17 on ashaft 18 acting on t-he slide through a lever 19 retracted by a spring19a.

2O is a brush forming the rupper wall of a slot through which theaperture 1G moves, and serving to prevent the crushing of any seeds orother material between said slot wall and the left-hand or cut-off edgeof the aperture 16 as the slide is drawn out to shut off the flow ofmaterial. On the under side of slide 16 the slot wall is cut away toform Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 4, 1911.

Patented Ju1y ,25, 1911.

Serial No. 618,804.

a recess or extension 21 of the measuringchamber, for a similar purpose.

The measuring-chamber 13 is provided with a reciprocating bottom member22 here shown in the form of a swinging Hap mounted on a rock-shaft 23and adapted to be oscillated thereby into and out of the chamber 13 andacross the mouth of its outlet 14. Shaft 23 has an arm 24 and is rockedby a cam 25 on shaft 18 through suitable connections including afollower 26 which is yieldingly projected toward the cam by means of aspring 27. An adjustable stop 28 limits the movement of the follower inthe direction of the cam.

29 is a glass window-pane in the side of casing 12 through which theinterior of the measuring-chamber may be viewed, and 30 are graduationsmarked thereon with which the flap 22 may register.

By means of cam 25 and the operating connections for flap 22 the latteris oscillated on its pivot-shaft 23, and in moving on its instroke fromthe outer or vertical position indicated in Fig. 2 it crosses and closesthe outlet 14 and swings up into themeasuring-chamber 13. This movementis produced by the spring 27 on the retreat of the cam, and its innerlimit depends upon the adjustment of stop 28, which latter accordinglydetermines the effective depth of the measuring-chamber and the bulk orvolume of the charge. rPhe slide or valve 15 remains closed while theoutlet 14 is open, but when flap 22 has reached its innermost positionthe slide 15 is moved to bring its opening 16 in line with the outlet ofthe hopper 10, and the chamber 13 is allowed to ll by gravity withmaterial from said hopper. Slide 15 immediately returns to its closedposition and then the cam 25 causes flap 22 to swing downwardly to itsvertical position and discharge the material by gravity through theoutlet 14. The minimum volume of charge is measured and delivered whenfla-p 22 on its instroke reaches a substantially horizontal position,and the maXimum quantity when said flap reaches only as far as the innerlip of outlet 14. The transparent window 29 enables the operator toobserve whether the material is feeding properly and to detect thepresence of any foreign substances without stopping or dismembering themachine, and the graduations thereon provide a means for readily gagingthe limit of the instroke of flap 22 to correspond With a definite bulkof material.

lf claim,-

l. A material feeder comprising a measuring chamber adapted to be fedthrough the upper end and discharged through the lower, means forintermittently supplying the material to the upper end of said chamber,a bottom member movable into and out of said chamber through the lowerend thereof to cover and uncover the discharge mouth of the chamber,means for actuating said member, and means 'for varying the point oftermination of its instrole.

Q. A material-feeder comprising a hopper, a measuring-chamber having aninlet from said hopper and an outlet, a valve controlling said inlet, abottom member movable into and out of said chamber and controlling saidoutlet, means for reciprocating said member, and means for varying thepoint of termination of the latters instroke.

3. A materialfeeder comprising a measuring-chamber having an outlet, abottom member mounted for movement into and out of said chamber andadapted to control said outlet, a cam for impart-ing the outstrolie tosaid'member, a spring for imparting the instroke thereto, and anadjustable stop tor varying the point at which the instrolie ceases.

A material-feeder comprising a hopper, a measuring-chamber having aninlet from said hopper and an outlet, a bottom member movable into andout of said chamber and controlling said outlet, means forautomatically7 reciprocating said member, a valve controlling saidinlet, automatic actuating means Jfor said valve timed to open and closethe latter While said member is substantially at the end of itsinstroke, and means for varying the point at which said instroleterminates.

5. A material-feeder comprising a segmental measuring-chamber having anoutlet, a pivoted valve mounted to oscillate into and out of saidchamber and controlling said outlet, and means for varying the point ottermination of the instrole of said valve.

6. A material-feeder comprising a hopper, a casing having a segmentalmeasuring chamber With an inlet from said hopper at its upper end and anoutlet at its lower end, a valve controlling said inlet, a pivotedbottom flap movable across said outlet and into said chamber, said flapoccupying a substantially horizontal innermost and a substantiallyvertical outermost position, and means for varying the point oftermination ot the instroke of said iiap.

7. A material-feeder comprising a measuring-chamber having an outlet, atransparent Window-pane in the side Wall of said chamber havinggraduations associated therewith, and a bottom member adapted toregister with said graduations and movable into and out of said chamberto determine the effective depth thereof and to control said outlet.

8. A material-feeder comprising a hopper, a measuring-chamber having aninlet from said hopper and an outlet, means controlling said outlet, aslide controlling said inlet and having a cut-ottl edge, and a ilexiblemember on the hopper side of said inlet cooperating With said cut-ofiedge.

9. A material-feeder comprising a hopper, a measuring-chamber having aninlet from said hopper and an outlet, means controlling said outlet, ahorizontally-movable slide controlling said inlet and having a cutoliedge, and means forming a slot through which said slide operates, saidslot having a eXible upper portion and a recess opposite said flexibleportion connecting with the measuring-chamber.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of tivosubscribing Witnesses, this 23rd day of March, 1911.

GUY L. HYT. lVitnesses:

R. M. Pierson, EDWARD E. BLACK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Vashngton, D. C.

